Perception of governance depends on what an elected public office holder wants to achieve. There are those who see governance as one big, difficult thing that can never be done rightly irrespective of the resources available.
But there are some others who believe that it is possible to achieve anything since there is the will (power) and with proper deployment of available resources.
Those with wrong perception have always failed, because they always see the Giants, the sons of Anak before whom they look like grasshoppers. But the few Calebs have always have the can-do attitude and their sing song is, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
It is two years since the current crop of governors were sworn into power in their various states. On May 29, 2025, drums would be rolled out in celebration of the achievements of the administrations in the states.
In some states, there would be nothing much to celebrate, whereas in a few others the governors would be grinning from ear to ear in showcasing the great work for the sake of humanity.
One of such few states where joy would flow is Enugu. The reason is obvious- Governor Peter Mbah appears to have brought a new and disruptive spirit into every sector of the state’s economy.
A recent visit to the state revealed the wonder of the administration under the visionary leadership of Mbah.
Under two years, the governor has turned the state into a massive construction site. Dozens of projects are going on simultaneously in various parts of the state.
Projects, projects and projects
The state government has undertaken a project christened, New Enugu Smart City. BusinessDay was told that it is so-called because it will be interconnected centrally. It is aimed at decongesting Enugu, and will be managed by a commission that has already been empowered by a law which has been passed. It is being handled by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC). BusinessDay visited the massive road project leading to the city.
There is an ongoing road dualization project from Emene to Abakaliki. BusinessDay was told that although it is a federal road, the state government decided to take it up because it did not know when the Federal Government would be ready for it. However, the Works Minister, Dave Umahi is building a flyover to help the work.
Road rehabilitation is touching every part of the state, irrespective of the status of people that live there, not just in Government Reserved Areas (GRAs).
There are 260 Type 2 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in all the wards. In Nsukka alone, there are about 102 centres. BusinessDay visited the centre at Otukwu Village in Emene, where the nurses on duty commended the vision of the governor and the blessing the centre has been to the people. The centre is solar-powered in line with the renewable energy transition of the government.
Some moribund companies are being revived. The governor is reviving Nigergas Company Limited which stopped working many decades ago. The Enugu United Palm Products Limited is also being revitalized. It has already entered into N100billion deal with a company called Pragmatic Palms Limited.
Iconic projects
Within the Rangers Avenue on Independence Layout is a cluster of iconic projects- both completed and ongoing. There is the International Conference Centre that sits between 4,500 and 5000 capacity; a dome at the centre that sits about 500 people; a multi-purpose hall that sits about 1,500 at the back of the centre; the Tomorrow Is Here (TIH) mall that has a number of shops, to serve as one-stop shop for those coming into the Centre; International Hotel to cater to guests that would be using the International Conference Centre; the Enugu Presidential Hotel where complete overhauling work is going on and the contractor said delivery date is on or before August.
There is the 300-bed international hospital having three blocks- A, B and C). The contractor said he had November as delivery date. There are 50 CNG-powered buses on ground, with additional 50 said to be awaiting clearance from the port; 3000 to 5000 taxis to run on CNG in line with the clean energy policy of the government.
There is a twin-bus terminal at Holy Ghost area of Enugu city. Others are located at Abakpa, Nsukka, Gariki, among other centres.
The state government, concerned by the level of insecurity in the country, has established what is being described as the first-of-its-kind in Nigeria- the ultramodern Command-and-Control Centre located inside the Government House, which is said to be 50 percent solution to insecurity and senseless crimes in the state. From the centre, every part of the state is being monitored 24/7 by the Artificial Intelligence-enabled cameras installed across the state and on security vehicles; These stationed security vehicles swing into action if the centre alerts them to any security threat anywhere across the state. Special attention is being paid to areas identified as flashpoints across the state.
Farm estates and tractorization
In line with the policy on agriculture which focuses on transforming the sector into wealth-creating sector, the state government established farm estates in all the 260 wards, and also begun to put finishing touches to its plans to begin to assemble tractors in the state.
BusinessDay was conducted round the expanse facility where construction and renovation work is in progress for the kick-off. One hundred (100) tractors are already on ground; 100 more are said to be at the port ready to be cleared. The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Enugu State, Patrick Nwabueze Ubru, in an interview with BusinessDay in his office, said that the plan is to have 1000 tractors. According to him, 800 heads of the tractors would be assembled at the facility being put in place.
The tractors, he said, would be deployed to the farm estates and geo-fenced to ensure that they are not removed to unauthorized places.
The promised water
One of the campaign promises of the governor was the provision of pipe-borne water to the people of the state within 180 days of his being in the saddle. He fulfilled that promise on November 25, 2023, but there remains a glitch. But not his fault, BusinessDay was told.
BusinessDay visited the ultramodern Ninth Mile Corner 24/7 Water Scheme powered by a 4.4 megawatts gas plant. When asked how often the plants are powered with electricity from the grid, the facility Manager, Stanley, said that the facility does not rely on power from the grid because, ‘most times the voltage will drop and it affects the plants; that’s why we prefer to be on 24/7 without using the power from the grid. The gas plant supply is stable.”
Water for 10 zones in Enugu
Explaining the status of water supply in the state, Joshua Ejeh, special adviser to the governor on Research and Publication, said, “There are ten zones in Enugu- Apakpa zone, Trans Ekulu zone, Emene, New Heaven, GRA, Independence Layout, Coal Camp, Uwani, and Agbani zone. All the zones are getting water but not everyone in the zone is getting water because of the challenge with pipes. There are asbestos pipes mostly; before the administration they were only producing say, 3 million litres and that could come like once a week or in two weeks, but now you are producing 120 million litres, and the state cannot pump the entire 120 million litres at once because of the pipes. If you pump like 40 percent of what is being generated, all the pipes would start bursting because these are asbestos pipes; they have been there for many years; and the state government keeps replacing them with more durable ductal iron pipes. At Holy Ghost area, new pipes are being laid; Emene, Independence Layout, and other places, new pipes are being laid.”
Ejeh further said: “Again, let me tell you frankly, some people are not being truthful. They have been getting water since the scheme started running November 25, 2023, but in order not to pay for water rate, they tell you that they do not get water. There was a time we were going from house to house on fact-finding with the SSG, when you get to some places and turn on the taps, you see water flowing; when asked, but you people said you were not getting water, they would say, well, let them enjoy Peter Mbah’s water before they start paying. You can imagine that.
“But then, there is still work to be done in terms of changing those old pipes. Piping is a major work. We also talk about extension. It is already on-going in some parts of the state. That is why not all homes get water, but some substantial parts of Enugu are getting water.
Nsukka people are getting water; they have their own water scheme that the state is also taking care of; Udi is getting water. Oji is working.”
The scheme to check open defecation
According to Ejeh, “Apart from this gas plant-powered water, the governor has another programme to reach the rural areas with water. They now use industrial boreholes in those areas. If you are to rely on the gas plant to generate water for every nook and cranny of Enugu State, you would need several billions and billions of naira to achieve that. So, what the government is doing is to get industrial boreholes, and reticulate; and where we have large body of water, we impound, treat and circulate. That is ongoing. This is also at the core of the governor’s plan to end open defecation. You cannot end open defecation without water. That is why the governor is bullish in providing water to the rural areas.”
Appeal for support
The governor’s aide also urged indigenes and residents of the state to support the government.
“We appeal to our people to support the government through payment of water rate. To power the gas plant, government is spending about N500million every month. Our people must take ownership of the project for the sake of sustainability. They must see the need to pay for the water they use,” he said.
